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Do any of you encounter days when, no matter what you try, you flop? I have them from time to time, and today is one of those times...actually, it's the first time I've had what I'd term a rotten practice in months.

Things committed to memory are gone, fingerings meticulously worked out in the past are stumbling blocks, focus on the score when you have it half memorized seems impossible.

What do you do? Do you chalk it up to a bad day and stop, or do you slog onward, even though everything you try sucks? I'm just wondering if it's a good idea to practice when everything you do undermines confidence and weeks of work.

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There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. - Beverly Sills

I had a lesson like that once. Everything I played or did was horrible. I was making mistakes I never make, or hadn't made for weeks. Finally we just stopped and started talking about music theory stuff. Which was quite interesting and worthwhile also, so it wasn't a total loss.

I'm hardly in the category of experienced pianists here, but when I have a day like that, I just chalk it up to a bad day and stop. It's too frustrating to keep playing if everything sucks! Thank goodness this hasn't happened to me very often. At least where I suck more than usual!

I'd be interested though in hearing what other people do when this happens to them.

I'm with AdagioM: stop slogging away at it, and when you come back (which for me would be the next day), somehow miraculously the stuff that was giving you trouble is much improved.

I have always assumed, however, that trying to slog through it is an integral part of the process. In other words, I give my whole practice routine the old college try before hanging it up for the day.

It's just my husband and I, and I really don't like to practice when he's in the room, although I have a few times. He usually goes in to the bedroom when I'm practicing so he can watch TV in there, or play his trumpet. I've probably mentioned this before on this forum but the piano is in the living room, which is the only TV hooked up to cable. So if he wants to watch something on cable, and I want to practice, we're stuck in there at the same time. He always says he doesn't mind, and I'm sure he doesn't, but I feel kind of funny plunking away when he's watching a movie or something. The ideal thing is for him to be playing his trumpet when I'm practicing, that way he don't bother each other. It probably does both the dog and the cats however!

Originally posted by plays88skeys: Do any of you encounter days when, no matter what you try, you flop? I have them from time to time, and today is one of those times...[/b]

I have those days, too. Those days are totally disconcerting with things memorized and played literally 1000s of times vaporized and non-existent. Once it becomes clear it's truly one of those, I usually write off the whole day, but I have found that if I come back to it hours later, sometimes I can end the day with a good practice even the same day.

This happens to me periodically. It is rather demoralizing. I just stop and give up for the day, having learned that slogging on just doesn't work for me, b/c it inevitably makes me more frustrated and leads me to thinking bad thoughts about piano and music!!!

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Here's another question: how many of you can't or won't practice if there is anyone else around to hear your efforts?

As with SAS, it is just my husband and me. Well, we have a dog, too, but she usually trots outside when I start playing... (everybody's a critic these days!). I don't mind playing with my husband is around, though I sometimes feel bad b/c I figure it must be disturbing him. He does have an office, though, and can shut the door, which he sometimes does.